This application relates to an oil separator which serves to remove oil from a gas stream such as air, and wherein a perforated separator tube has extruded perforations to reduce the likelihood of previously separated oil being reintroduced into the gas stream.
Oil separation is required in various gas handling procedures, and in particular, air compression. As part of an air compressor, oil is circulated over moving parts. Some of this oil may be entrained in a compressed air stream. For many reasons, the oil must be removed from the compressed air stream.
Thus, oil separation units are known. In one known type of oil separation unit, air is introduced into an enclosed housing through an inlet. The inlet is positioned in opposition to a solid tube. The solid tube deflects the air stream downwardly toward a perforated tube. The impact of the air stream off of the solid tube removes a high percentage of the oil that is entrained in the air.
The air stream, and any remaining oil still entrained, is directed downstream, and through the perforated tube. The air stream flows through the perforations, and into an interior filter pack. Air passes through the filter pack into an outlet, and then to a downstream use. The perforations serve to smooth the air stream flow
In the prior art, the oil which is removed from the solid tube flows downwardly, and over the perforated tube. The prior art perforated tube has been formed as holes in an otherwise cylindrical surface. Thus, the previously removed oil may flow into the hole, or be entrained by air passing into the perforations. Thus, an undesirably high amount of oil reaches the filter pack. This causes the filter pack to become saturated at an undesirably early point, and further reduces the efficiency of the overall oil separator.